A normal Child

The darkness of the night shuddered beneath the radiant presence of the brightest star ever witnessed. In that celestial glow, a child of profound destiny was born. On the 22nd day of the 11th month in the year 200 AS, Luc Walter took his first breath, ushering in a cascade of change that would ripple through the lives of every Arkanian. The joy of his arrival filled the hearts of his parents, and neighbours rejoiced, knowing that this remarkable child symbolized the very hope of Primea, their thriving city.

But, with great anticipation, comes disappointment. Despite being heralded as a child of profound destiny, Luc Walter appeared to be utterly ordinary in every aspect. Instead of the bestowed blessings and exceptional fortune one might expect, Luc seemed to be plagued by misfortune at every turn. Every endeavour he pursued seemed to foreshadow catastrophe. This ill-fated streak emerged when he was a mere three years old, and his parents, hopeful but concerned, enrolled him in the Primea Infant Shelter, the solitary educational institution within their town. It was there that Luc found himself amidst a group of peers, where innocent games and laughter filled the air—a seemingly normal scene, if not for what ensued. Suddenly, a Sky trooper materialized in the sky, swooping down to snatch Luc away. In the aftermath, Luc was discovered near a Falaise, the lifeless Sky trooper by his side.

Such incidents happened sporadically, leaving the Primeans filled with pity for Luc. Despite these occasional trials, his life remained mostly worry-free. Within the confines of the Primea Infant Shelter, Luc found solace in the subjects of history and basic arithmetic. Numbers, to him, were among the most beautiful things he had ever encountered. While his fellow Primeans primarily saw them as tools for accounting, Luc discerned their intrinsic beauty and complexity. However, he couldn't share this fascination with his friends. One day, he eagerly engaged one of them in a conversation about multiplication, fully aware of the anticipated response. As expected, his friend nonchalantly replied, 'I don't care. When I awaken, I can just use the arithmancy spell to do it for me.'

Was Luc the sole witness to the power held within numbers? Did he alone recognize the inherent beauty of multiplication and division, the ability to manipulate quantities? It seemed that way to him. At the tender age of nine, he attended his first geometry class, and a wave of profound fulfilment washed over him once more. The connections between two points, bound together by a single line, the mesmerizing intersections—they consumed his thoughts. The teacher, taken aback by a student paying such close attention, inquired, 'Luc Walter, is my class truly that captivating?' Luc responded earnestly, 'Professor, never before have I seen the world with such clarity as I do today.'

Luc's insatiable fascination for numbers and geometry drove him to scour the limited confines of the Shelter's library, hoping to find answers to his unquenchable thirst for knowledge. However, his quest seemed destined for disappointment. The school's resources could only provide him with the rudiments of arithmetic and geometry. In the meantime, his fellow students delved into the realm of spell diagrams, as magic reigned supreme in Arkania. While the likes of Sir Galileo and Sir Mendeleev had made groundbreaking advancements in physics and chemistry, proposing hypotheses and discovering the existence of atoms, mathematics remained a lesser-explored territory within the realm of science. In Arkania, where magic held sway, validation of concepts in physics, chemistry, and experimental sciences came more easily than in the realm of mathematics. For instance, when Sir Galileo presented his hypothesis, he conjured the potent earth spell known as 'increased gravity,' which to this day stands as one of the most powerful earth spells ever crafted.

Each day, Luc felt his disappointment grow, his once-burning passion waning. Was he destined to live within the confines of this closed world, devoid of anything else to love? Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years, with the weight of monotony settling upon him. Yet, amidst this bleakness, a glimmer of anticipation emerged. The awakening ceremony, the momentous day that every Primean child eagerly awaited, drew near. It was a day that held the promise of life-changing possibilities. In Arkania, where magic coursed through the veins of every inhabitant, the manipulation of elements defined their abilities. Earth, water, fire, plant, and null—these stood as the fundamental affinities, each with their variants. Every element boasted at least five distinct variations, except null. Additionally, combined affinities like Magma, a fusion of earth and fire, showcased the immense potential for elemental synergy.

As a child of destiny, Luc once again found himself at the centre of attention. The mayor of Primea extended a special invitation to Sir Langlands, a renowned magister from the prestigious Academy of Magic and Science Study Of The Victoria Kingdom. Sir Langlands, a prodigious genius who appeared only once in a century, had achieved his esteemed title at the remarkably young age of 35. His contributions to the field of magiscience were revered and equalled only by the legendary founders of Science themselves.

Sir Langlands arrived in Primea on the 20th day of the 13th month in the year 215 AS, eager to meet the rumoured child of destiny. However, the awakening ceremony was still five days away. Intrigued by the whispers surrounding Luc, Sir Langlands discreetly observed the daily lives of the Primeans. On the fourth day, his patience was rewarded as he finally caught sight of the solitary figure of Luc Walters. To his surprise, Luc was engrossed in drawing squares using a simple branch, seemingly out of place amidst the others who fantasized about their elemental affinities. Sir Langlands was captivated by this display of a different kind of fascination.

Despite his curiosity, Sir Langlands had to restrain his inquiries, for he was scheduled to make an appearance before the mayor the following day. The mayor had prepared an extravagant banquet in Sir Langlands' honour, inviting all the inhabitants of Primea. As the grand event unfolded, the mayor took special care to introduce Luc Walters as the long-awaited child of destiny. Sir Langlands, his mind racing with newfound knowledge, silently noted, 'So, Luc Walters was his name.'

Unbeknownst to Luc, his seemingly ordinary life in Arkania was on the precipice of transformation. The arrival of Sir Langlands and the recognition bestowed upon him at the banquet were but the prelude to a destiny that awaited him, one that would reshape the course of Arkania itself.

Note:

AS: After the Advent of Science.